One

Amira Altaha has lived her entire 18 years living in a world where the natural and supernatural coexist with each other. Some areas accept the unknown creatures living next to them, and some banish their existence. Growing up in Morrow Falls, it has always been regarded as an off-charter city despite being rather large and prosperous, it is also surrounded by a thick and foggy swamp that many find off-putting. 

Beyond that lies Morrow Falls, a peaceful city of coexistence between creatures of all kinds, most of its quiet dullness due to the guarding bog surrounding it. Amira and the others have learned to live life alongside these mysterious and off beings, having them attend schools and run businesses to form a rather rich land. 

Some can’t imagine working alongside a supposed person sprouting wings from their back or someone who can turn into a wolf or a bear whenever they want but appears as a perfectly normal human otherwise. Amira, can’t imagine life without any of that, especially not her boyfriend, Isaac Lund – what many call a werewolf. 

Not only that, he is also the son of the current Alpha of his pack, the Greybane Pack. He is nearing his 18th birthday, the year he will start learning to take over as Alpha from his father and be the leader he has always dreamed of being. 

Amira and Isaac met in their junior year of high school and have been inseparable ever since. She was accepted by his family instantly, despite being a human and someone so different from their culture, it didn’t take her long to fit right in. The same with her parents, they fell in love with Isaac the first time they met him over a family dinner, always secretly worried deep down that their daughter is setting herself up for disappointment by dating someone from such a different life than her. 

It was during their second year together that Isaac explained to Amira what it meant to be a ‘mate’ to someone of his kind, and also explained that he would start to discover his once he turned 18. Despite knowing this, Amira is willing to stay with him with the promise that nothing will ever tear them apart, even if the presence of his true mate comes. 

At first, she thought of it as nothing more than a promise to get her to fall for him, but as the years have gone on, Isaac has proven time and time again that he will never give up on their natural bond as lovers. The fast approach of his 18th birthday also brings the end of their high school years together, their future already planned on to keep them as close as possible. 

Amira’s family runs two successful businesses, her mother has several jewelry lines and stores, and her father has made a name for himself in real estate. As their only daughter, she has always been encouraged to study business and accounting so she can one day take over the back end of their combined business name. Isaac will one day have to do the same when it comes to running his pack and their family business as well, making the agreement of their post-secondary education quite simple, there is only one college in Morrow Falls that provides an adequate business class. 

With their future in place and just time in their way, Amira can only imagine the day they are living their lives in the pack house and how her life will ultimately change once Isaac becomes the Alpha of the Greybane Pack. She has tried her best to support him every step of the way, helping him to prepare for every session with his father, whether it be theory or training, and making sure she does her part as the potential partner who will stand by his side.

She knows better than to expect his pack to recognize her as their Luna, seeing how she is a human and can never be the true mate of Isaac unless fate happens to be on their side, and she is indeed deemed his mate once he turns 18. Isaac is more than certain that she will in fact, but Amira doesn’t want to get her hopes up too much, and knowing he will love her regardless is more than enough. 

His family already recognizes her as his true love, and even if the rest of the pack doesn’t, she can still have a comfortable life inside the pack house and outside working her family’s business, there isn’t anything they can’t get through. 

Even though his birthday is still a couple of weeks away, Amira has been going back and forth between the Greybane pack house and her own, bringing over gifts and decorations to set up for his party. His parents have been storing and stashing everything she brings to keep it the best-kept secret from Isaac.

Just a little bit longer, and they will have their happily ever after. 

 

~*~ 

 

It is the day of Isaac’s 18th birthday and Amira has been struggling to contain her excitement about the surprise party all day, doing her best to appear her normal self during school hours before bringing Isaac home with her with the excuse of wanting to change into something nice for dinner with his parents. He drives her to the pack house with the thought that they are going to have a birthday dinner with his parents, and then watch a movie together for the night. 

“I forgot to mention, my father told me yesterday that some of the family members from the Silverhowl Pack will be visiting during dinner to congratulate me on my coming-of-age. They will probably sit with my parents in the drawing room and discuss political things after dinner, nothing you have to worry too much about, I just wanted to give you the heads up.” Isaac smiles, picking up her hand to plant a gentle kiss on the back. 

Amira smiles back, loving how thoughtful he always is toward her but a little irritated that he didn’t tell her yesterday when she was putting the finishing touches on the party at the pack house while he was hunting with his father. She could have at least added extra seating if she knew how many people to expect, not that it might seem rude when they show up. 

She always tries to go above and beyond to help Isaac make a good impression and stand out from the crowd, knowing exactly how special he is but he easily allows himself to get overshadowed and becomes a wallflower everywhere they go. 

“I just hope they don’t get offended if there aren’t any seats,” she mutters. 

“That dinner table is huge, what do you mean? There should be plenty of seats for them.” 

Amira didn’t realize she had spoken her words out loud and covered her mouth, hoping she hadn’t given away a small hint of the party. Thankfully the pack house comes into view, her thoughts spacing her out the entire way. 

They climb out of the car and walk toward the front door, Amira waiting for Isaac to notice how dark and quiet the house looks but he doesn’t seem to pay much attention to it and walks through like nothing. The room bursts with light seconds after and everyone jumps out to yell surprise, completely catching him off-guard. 

“What the – what is all of this?” he cries out, a smile creeping on his lips. 

His mother is the first to rush forward. “Happy Birthday, my son. This is your party, of course!” She throws him in for a large, suffocating hug then kisses his cheek and backs away. 

“How did you put this all together?” he asks. 

“It was Amira, she helped plan everything and made all the decorations.” 

Isaac turns to her with a grin. “This is amazing, Amira.” 

“You can thank me later, go say hi to everyone and enjoy your party,” she says and gives him a quick kiss before pushing him toward the awaiting crowd. While Isaac is speaking with his guests, Amira wanders around and makes sure everything is still in order from last night and that no decorations have come down or unappetizing food has made it out of the kitchen. 

Everything feels like it is going perfectly when a prickling feeling creeps up the back of Amira’s spine, a foreboding sense that something bad is about to happen, but she looks around and people seem happy, the party in full swing. Isaac approaches her from the crowd with the biggest smile on his face, looking like he is having the time of his life and quite a few drinks. 

“This has been a great night, Amira. I can’t believe you put it all together,” he says with a slight slur. He ropes an arm around her shoulder and buries his face in her neck, nibbling on her skin lightly. 

She giggles and tries to push him away, her chest swelling at the tender moment between them. She is thinking that she hopes this night never ends, when the ballroom door suddenly opens, and an employee of the pack house announces the arrival of new guests. 

“Arriving, Alpha Morin of the Silverhowl Pack and his family, Lady Morin and her daughter, Eris.” 

Isaac suddenly stiffens in her grasp and whips his head up, his pupils dilating. He turns toward the gathering crowd at the door and grabs Amira’s hand to wade his way through to the front. Standing in the doorway is a tall and brutish-looking man with light white hair and a bushy beard to match, standing with an equally tall and slender woman with peach-coloured hair and fair features, looking rather regal in her dark green floor-length dress. 

But Isaac’s attention is narrowed on the petite girl standing next to them, sharing the same white-blonde hair as her father and pretty, fair features as her mother with sparkling green eyes to accentuate her beauty. She looks like an expensive China doll people get for mere decoration.

Her emerald eyes lock onto Isaac and her face splits into a beaming smile. Before anyone can react, she crosses the ballroom floor right up to Isaac – and kisses him. He is quick to push her off in shock, but not quick enough for Amira’s heart not to crack just a bit. 

You can hear a pin drop with the silence in the room and cut through the tension suffocating the room like a brick of butter. All eyes are on the three standing in the middle of the room now, the girl Eris seeming none the wiser to what she has just done, but Isaac not reacting the way Amira is hoping he would. 

He should be angry and appalled at this random girl kissing him right in front of his girlfriend, yet he is standing there like a statue. 

“Isaac, what the hell is going on?’ Amira whispers. 

He suddenly turns to her with a guilty look on his face. 

“Amira, I…I’m sorry, but I think I’ve found my mate.” 

She barely hears the end of what he says before she feels the floor collapse beneath her and the depths of sleep overtake her.